20 Best Tablet For Graphic Art (2023 Updated)

My 2018 Wacom tablet was giving me all sorts of issues even though previous versions were with less problems and it was making me want to avoid drawing, so I finally decided to change brands. I remembered hearing about XP-Pen and even tried it out in anime expo, but was worried the brand would have problems as well, but after testing it is surprisingly sturdy, gives a larger size for a cheaper price, easy installation, and the feeling of drawing is smooth like on paper, so it took me only a few minutes to adjust it.

It came with a bunch of needed accessories and was packed nicely. The only issue I have is that the manual is very bare, and didn’t even say where the extra nibs were, even the seller I bought from didn’t know it was there, but I knew where they were by guesstimating.

It’s inside the pen nib remover. You just twist and pull. Overall I would rate it a 9/10. Def. a nice change and I hope it’ll last, because I was getting tired of Wacom and wouldn’t want to go back to it.

How to get you hyped? I wanted more of an effect with this review but I’ll get straight to the point. I bought this at a great price not only for the tablet, but so I could color. I’ve only drawn in pencil and I wanted to take the next step.

Oh man, this was SO worth it! To begin with, everything that comes in this package is worth it! The tablet and pen have great pressure sensors, the glove helps my hand glide, the additional cover adds a slight roughness and the extra nibs allow me to draw as I please.

The cover definitely makes it feel like home, for me, when drawing. The extra buttons helped a beginner, like myself, a lot! The shortcut buttons were not a must, but it’s an amazing additional feature.

10 out of 10 would reccommend this tablet. I feel like I’m playing more than drawing sometimes.

For the most part I like this input device even though i have not bee able to actually use it. I have used several Wacom devices that cost a lot of money. I did like them a lot. what i have not liked so far is this has several adapters for worldly power sources bur there is no way to use this device if you don’t have a hdmi port.

These hdmi connectors are primarily used for Televisions and maybe some older computers. Most newer computers use display port which is superior for gaming which i think we all like. So now i am waiting for several weeks to get the tablet only to find i need to go buy something else that should have came with the tablet.

After all it came with 4 different power adapters that i will never use. The second thing is the stand, the one you can’t adjust. They actually have an adjustable one for around $50 but who would pay that much when there are nice ones available for $20-25? All considered this still seems like a good choice if you can’t get by with just a drawing tablet.

I spent over $400 for a nice one but not seeing what i am doing w3as a big disadvantage. Cintique equipment is really expensive but it does work very well. I can no longer affor that stuff so this will have to do.

It should be the same excep0t for not being a stand alone tablet.

The product performs well above what was expected. For the price range it’s size is perfect and the reactivity of the pen is quite good. It works well in GIMP, Inkscape, Blender and Krita. That being said, I am sure it would do great in Adobe software.

I am but a poor artist that relies on the free alternatives.

too good, it has been my partner for three years, I had not rated the product because I forgot things, today that I bought a script again I reminded myself, well, this is the best tablet to start drawing.

I thought the drawing area was going to be much smaller than it is on the picture. The tablet is really lightweight and comfortable to use.

Sensitive, flexible and easy to configure. My new Intuos Pro Creative Pen Tablet (Small) easily fits on my desk by my new HP Windows 10 laptop. Once I got everything configured, it acts as pen tablet and mouse, with one button to bring up the configuration if I choose to change anything.

One handy feature my old Intuos Pro lacked is a Touch On/Off switch on the side. As I tend to drag my hand across the tablet, this is a wonderful feature. Deserves 5 stars. LOVE IT.

Great tablet but broke within 4 months of use. It has a warranty but returning it is such a hassle since staff forgot to provide electronic return label for days.

Very easy to use and easy set up. Very happy with it.

Works as intended and I like to draw!

I’m a graphic designer with decades of drawing tablet experience. The best tablets have been Wacom for build quality, feel, and driver reliability. This tablet replaces my Wacom Intuos Pro Touch tablet.

The build quality of the Xencelabs tablet is on par with the Wacom. The bundled stylii and controller provide excellent versatility and much more performance value than Wacom. The Xencelabs driver adds a feature I’ve asked of Wacom for many years – you can save custom settings and even share them.

There’s no way to do that via the Wacom driver. I do think there’s some room for improvement on the Xencelabs driver. I’d like better click and double-click sensitivity and better mouse mode handling of a dual screen desktop where one screen is landscape and the other is portrait.

I haven’t had time yet to delve into customizing the Quick Keys.

I love the tablet. It is as good as the Wacom in my opinion but the Wacom has more features that I don’t really need. I was disappointed when I tried using it in Capture One on Windows. The buttons on the pen don’t work at all unless you disable Windows Ink but then you lose pen pressure.

So you can’t have both in Capture One and you really need working buttons for brush size shortcuts and more so pen pressure is not an option for me. I contacted Xencelabs and they said this was an issue that needs to be resolved with the developers at Capture One.

This issue made me consider returning the tablet and getting the Wacom but in the meantime my kids damaged the packaging so I can’t do that. In conclusion, great tablet but does not work as intended in Capture One.

Would be 5 stars if Xencelabs could work this out with the people at C1.

I’ve been using these types of tablets for many years and this one seems to be a bit better than previous ones. Easy to set up with no optional items like batteries to buy to get up and running. Good surface feel with just enough resistance to make it feel like you’re actually on paper.

A few nice perks for the money you spend on this. Two pens, a bunch of nibs, carry case and drawing glove. Great additions to a good tablet. It is very responsive on screen and seems very accurate in it’s location on screen as well.

So far it’s doing what it’s supposed to do and works well doing it. Time will tell how well it holds up but it seems solid and I do not foresee any issues in that regard.

We own several of these small Intuos drawing tablets–two obsolete models, two recent wireless/corded models of this same generation and now 3 of this exact model. Truth be told, the only reason I bought this latest one is because it was on clearance and I lost the pen to my other one.

Not only that, the cord both recent non-wireless models went bad and the L-shaped mini-USB is hard to find. You can use a regular micro-usb cable, but they are also obsolete at this point. So I figured I get a pen and a cord with a spare tablet for the same price as buying a pen and a cord at the clearance price.

Here’s the issue I have with Wacom: The tablet is great, but the cords are very low quality, at least for the basic model. Stores don’t carry pens or the right cords (or even the pen nibs for that matter), so you end up having to buy directly from Wacom, which is a hassle, plus you have to wait.

The tablet itself, I think would last pretty much forever, but they become obsolete by new pen technology that doesn’t work with old, or new USB technology. I personally do not draw with the Wacom, but demonstrate math problems using drawing software.

My daughters are both artists and love using these for that purpose.

It’s a very good entry level drawing tablet that comes with a subscription to Clip Studio Paint for either one or two years (I forget which). The pen feels good to use, the USB connection seems fine and stable despite being USB-A to micro USB, and the Wacom software is easy to use.

Honestly, I’ve only got two complaints. The first is that the USB cable needs an adapter if you want to use it with a computer without a USB-A port – you know, one of the large ones that’s for flash drives and things.

The second is that the orientation cannot be changed, and it will always operate so that the buttons have to be at the top. I dislike this because I keep hitting them by accident when drawing, which sends various commands to the program I’m using.

I suppose Wacom could fix this down the line with a driver update, but they haven’t yet so it remains a point of irritation. If you’re already experienced with drawing tablets, go for something else.

But if you’re just kind of getting the hang of it, this tablet is really great for learners.

I’ve been a Wacom user for years, and I was on the fence of buying this model; and going with a totally different brand. But there was a sale and figured why not. One nice thing about the newer models is the cord is removeable so you no longer get the cord of death.

Which brought the end of my tablets I’ve had over the years. Another nice thing about this product, is that that the texture when drawing on it itself feels like your drawing on paper. I also like how the replacement nibs are kept inside the pen, which is nice, and you’d never lose them.

I’ve never used the features of the buttons, since I’m a simple gal. Just using the tablet itself is good enough for me. The only thing I can critique about this product is there’s no CD software, you have to go on Wacom’s website to download.

Which can be annoying if you don’t have internet access. Also I had to contact Wacom customer service to figure out what softeware to download, since they didn’t make it very clear. Since there’s quite a few different drawing tablets they have listed, this is a 2019 model for future buyers if you’re curious.

All in all I would recommend this product. :).

Take note of when I purchased the item. Also, I haven’t drawn in 15 years so all this tech is new to me. If you’re in my boat, then please continue to read. The table pre-set colors are wonderful. After configuring the pen I had no issues.

One thing that freaked me out was a red tint that appears after awhile. After some research, I realized my computer’s Night Light settings were also affecting the tablet’s screen so check for that if you run into the same issue.

My first impression is that the tablet would mirror my desktop, and I would see my work on two screens. Not so. Maybe there’s a way to do that. However, my computer recognized it as a an extended screen, and I just moved my trial of Clip Studio to the Cintiq window and everything is fine.

When I first installed the drivers I had an issue. So I installed the PREVIOUS driver iteration and upgraded through Wacom’s client. That fixed the communication issue between the tablet and my computer.

Additionally, when setting up my account with Wacom, for some reason Chrome (even after checking cookies) would not load the website properly. Edge does load Wacom properly so switch browsers if need be.

As the title says, the cords ruin this product. There is one central cord the connects to the top of the Wacom display. It is about 4ft long. From the central cord, it has 3 cords that come off it. Where these three cords split off from is about 3ft into a 4ft long cord.

Meaning, you only have three 1ft cords to plug into the follow: The first cord plugs into a power supply. The power supply is good because it has a power brick and about 6 feet of cordage. That is the best part of the cords because it gives the user plenty of space to have your powering system (surge proctor) and it doesn’t have to be extremely close.

The second cord is an hdmi that plugs into your display port on your computer (where your monitor will plug into). The last cord is a usb that plugs into your computer (where peripherals would go). That is a lot of wiggle room needed for all of this.

A good foot of the central cord is used to plug peripherals and hdmi/display port in. This leaves about 3 feet of cordage. that 3 feet has to work with your computer set up. If you have a laptop, it isn’t so bad (unless your display port and USB are on different sides of the laptop.

you might run into trouble). However, if you’re plugging this into a desktop, it is almost impossible to plug it in, wrap cords around everything, and still have room to prop the screen up in a comfortable location and still be able to use your mouse/keyboard if needed.

It is way too cluttered. Beware when purchasing. It does not work very well with my set up. I have a gaming set up on a gaming desk that does not have a lot of room to put this on my desk and use it comfortably along with my mouse and keyboard.

IF you have a set up that has enough room, maybe a table on the side or something. it will probably work with you. Highly recommend measuring your set up and make sure you have enough wiggle room for a 3 foot cord that is thick and stiff to maneuver around your desk/monitors/keyboard/mouse/etc.

I’m a professional artist and I wanted to try out a Cintiq as I was starting to have wrist pain issues while using my Intuos tablet. I have limited desk space so this model’s size is very nice. Overall I think this was a good investment for me, I only have a few complaints about it.

Pros – very ergonomic being able to draw directly on the screen at a nice 20 degree angle. Feels natural to draw/sculpt on. No glare issues. Cons – wish it came with the stand and hotkey remote, Wacom being greedy I guess.

The angle the built-in stand goes too isn’t quite as high as I’d like. Some programs don’t agree well with having their zoom/scale changed to work on this smaller screen.

Got it from Walmart fairly quickly and am very happy purchasing, it does what it says! The flow of the pen to tablet is smooth and amazing. I brought this with Clip Studio Paint from Walmart too later and the program works with ease with my tablet on my computer.

I got my tablet in the the end of May or the beginning of June 2020 and love it. The only problem I’m having with the tablet is when I’m scrolling the web (like googling pictures on google) the tablet bar jumps.

To stop that from happening I scroll up and down by the arrows on my keyboard. The only other thing is I wish for all the money I’m paying I get touch functions but you can’t. Now more of the pros to help y’all decide on your purchase.

The color range is beautiful and I can draw for hours with no eye problems because I can dim the lights and color controls. The size of the drawing area is great and weight is fine. I especially love that unlike other tablets I got from Wacom I don’t have to worry about restarting the tablet because it’s not working or something being wrong with pen pressure because it ALWAYS WORKS! No matter if I take out the cables or leave them connected to the computer.

Everything works on the photoshop I have (CS4). SAI worked great when I had it and now I have Clip Studio Paint Pro and everything works fine with the tablet, including the pose it models. If you do have problems with the tablet Wacom helps a lot.

With my older wacom tablets which are 2 Bamboo’s, and 1 CTH480 they helped me when I had problems. And my CTH 480 still works and I got it around 2015. Hope this tablet lasts forever because it was a heavy investment.

I rate it a 4. 5 out of 5 because it works perfectly besides the small problem I’m having and I wish it had touch functions. I’m writing this post on 1/3/2021 if it doesn’t show.

My 13yr old son loves his tablet and it is perfect for his needs. As long as you understand that YOU NEED TO CONNECT IT TO A COMPUTER FOR IT TO WORK then you’ll be sweet as. Fortunately this was explained to me before I bought it.

Connect the tablet to the old laptop and the laptop to a monitor and you have a big screen, A2/A3 drawing experience. Works with his Chromebook OS as well, but check on the Wacom site what series Chromebook are compatible before buying.

Will work with Windows and Apple pretty seamlessly I imagine. It really is plug it in, download a drawing software program and away you go. Hours of endless, creative fun. Chromebook doesn’t support Windows obviously so you can’t use a lot of the flasher (and expensive) drawing software programs (like the ones that come with it) but you don’t need most of those anyway and there are plenty of cheap or free software packages available for the budding artist to try out.

The pen is awesome-entry level but more than adequate and easily upgradable. For the price and to discover whether you really like it, I reckon it’s a great system. Thanks Harvey Norman for being knowledgeable (and honest) about the product and saving me a lot of money not buying a new generation iPad (Not that there is anything wrong with those either, but they are way expensive).

We have what we need for a third or less of the cost. Thanks Wacom! I feel like we will move up the specs of these tablets and pens as my son’s artistic talents expand.

I received this item for free in exchange for a review through the Walmart spark reviewer program. I am not a graphic designer or in any other hobby or profession where I would use this item or know how to so I received this item without any knowledge of how it works.

It came in a snug decorative box and was packaged extra well within that box. It came with the item itself, along with the power/ computer cord, instructions, and a pen stylus. I followed the directions and plugged it all together as directed in the instructions.

It basically screen mirrored my laptop which it was plugged into but when I clicked the button on the stylus, and waved it over the wacom screen, my mouse cursor followed. It isn’t touch screen, but close enough because you can tap the ‘pen’ to it and use it like a mouse.

This is REALLY cool and super reactive. I was able to doodle on 3d paint and navigate to the wacom website where it prompted me to register my device. It said upon registering that I would receive some free software to use with the device and asked me to take a short multiple choice survey on what I intend to use the device for.

It made it seem like it may taylor the offered software to your individual needs / interests but unfortunately I didn’t get that far in the set up to find out. Unfortunately my eight year old computer kept freezing when I tried to register the device so after several hours of trying, I returned to using the wacom just to doodle and draw with on my already downloaded programs on my computer.

It’s also nice because the wacom is light weight and can sit on your lap while your bulkier computer or laptop is several feet away on the table or other surface. I plan to use this item in the future with its available programs once I get a new laptop that isn’t so slow, but for now, it’s a great asset just for the freedom and light weight.

I think it will be neat to learn how to edit photos from my dslr camera with it and I can definitely see its usefulness in an abundance of different applications. The only down side that i dont care for is that it can make a bit of a “nails on a chalkboard” sound when using the stylus, and that it is useless unless plugged into an outlet and the laptop/ computer/ compatible phone so you’re limited on where it can be used (how far you are from a computer and a wall outlet.

) There are also quite a bit of cords which i had to keep draped over my lap or dangling off the table by my feet which is a bit of a nuisance. It has two sturdy little kick stands on the back of it which hold it up at a good angle when you’re using it at the table or desk.

Overall, while I’m not probably the target demographic for this item, I have been getting some good use out of it and enjoy using it seeing that kts basically a tablet- sized light weight computer screen which a stylus can be used with.

Thats pretty cool to me. I am keeping it in its box for now because it didn’t come with any kind of case which would have been nice but I can always upgrade later. If you’re interested in this item, I would recommend it if your interested in this kind of thing and have a computer that runs well enough to use it in all of its available ways.

I’d also recommend looking into the cost of the wacom programs available for purchase separately because if you’re intending on using certain wacom programs with it, it could potentially up your cost quite a bit along with the need for a carrying case for it.

In the world of digitizers, Wacom is a well-established and respected brand and has many digitizer models ranging from low cost (around fifty bucks) to multi-thousand dollar high-end, very-high resolution digitizers.

Digitizers tend to fall into two categories: live screens, and blind tablets. On the live screen, you draw directly on the screen that shows the image you are creating. On the blind tablet, the image you are creating shows on your computer screen, but your hand creating the image rests on the digitizing tablet, which generally requires you to be looking at the computer screen while drawing with a hand you can’t see – which makes the blind tablet somewhat harder to adapt to.

This One By Wacom model (CTL-472) is the low-end model, blind tablet, primarily aimed at beginners, students, and those dabbling in digitizing their efforts in art, graphics, or ads that don’t need (or can’t afford) exceptionally high accuracy.

The One By Wacom also comes with a pen and spare nibs. Besides the digitizer tablet and pen itself, one also needs a driver and a software program that accepts and manipulates data from the digitizer.

Wacom provides a free driver, which you will have to download from the internet, and it also provides you a choice of five or six software programs to process and manipulate data from the digitizer, but these software programs are trial versions that are only free for 90 days of trial, and afterwards you would have to purchase whichever one you chose if you decided to keep using it.

However, schools and educational institutions often sponsor certain products, such as Chrome tablets, that also use the Wacom digitizers, and provide software (though the school) that are free to the student.

The other issue for many digitizer users is portability. The One By Wacom is very portable, while many (if not most) higher end digitizer models (especially live screens) are not so portable. Analyze you real needs and purchase accordingly.

Inspiring beginner and experienced artists alike, there’s no doubt that the Wacom One digital drawing tablet is a great tool to help develop artists’ creativity and open up a world of wonderful possibilities.

My teenage children and I love the large 13. 3 inch sized screen with built in stand! In combination with the included digital pen drawing feels natural, soft and intuitive, it’s almost like drawing on real paper.

My children love drawing portraits and anime, sketching and designing clothes, and this Wacom drawing tablet makes it easy to do just that and so much more. a couple of drawing app trials that come included with this drawing tablet let you explore the fun world of art and learn how to create your own artwork.

It is also a nice tool to work on and share your ideas with coworkers and team members, or if you are a teacher you can demonstrate your work step by step via this drawing tablet. Right out of the box, this Wacom One comes with few instructions.

It needs to be connected to another computer or mobile device as well as its own power adapter at all times for it to work. We were a bit disappointed that this is not a portable standalone device that you can just use anywhere, so that is one big drawback of this device.

Complete setup instructions are found on the Wacom website and also the latest driver update needs to be downloaded from the website. This made the setup process somewhat confusing and lengthy but it is not too difficult, and for convenience there’s a QR code inside the box that takes you exactly to where you find all the important first steps to get started.

My children love the versatility of the Wacom One and that they can use this drawing tablet as an extension for their Chromebooks to do their homework, adding annotations to documents and even do their advanced math homework assignments on screen, which are easy to do using the math paper like templates.

Everything is simple to share, save and delete to start over if needed. I would recommend this product for anyone who loves creating artwork, as well as teachers and those who are interested in designing and architecture.

Great quality product!.

I’ve used several drawing tablets, ones w screens, ones like this w/ out a screen. I will say it works good for what it does, however, because the pen is so small, if you have average sized or large hands it does begin to hurt after a short amount of time.

The pen also feels VERY VERY cheap, and I mean VERY cheap. I’m talking dollar store cheap. I would say look towards the Intuos Pro, or even other alternatives that are much, much cheaper. So far not exactly satisfied w the experience w this drawing tablet, and I will be returning it this week.

If they included a better pen (and they should at $200) I might have different opinions. If this is being purchased for a kid, I would say it’s partially a good purchase it, seeing as they will likely have much smaller hands, but even then, there are better alternatives.

One other thing to note, if you plan on using BT, this tablet has very noticeable lag when not plugged in.

I sat on this tablet for a bit as I already had my Wacom Intuos Graphics Drawing Tablet and it worked well but not exactly happy with it. (Used it about twice then it sat collecting dust) So i was a lil worried about me feeling the same about this tablet.

Probably bc Im a bit classic. Love my sketchbook and pencil above all else, so getting used to the new tech is a bit intimidating. After watching reviews for weeks and debating on the 12, 13, or 16 I finally decided on the 13 pro.

As I figured I would not need anything bigger since my sketchbooks are 8×11. Wanted something that was about the same size. Its even better than I had anticipated. Its stand makes it feel like your drawing or painting on an easel or you can set it in your lap and for the classic pad feel.

The pen and stand is super nice, pen feels natural even if its a bit chunky. I love that The tablet is super lightweight and fits nicely in a bag. Im so happy with this i drag it everywhere with me. Along with my classic sketchbook This tablet is easily the best for the price.

Couldnt be happier. I am even dealing with a cyst in my wrist at the moment, however I can tilt the tablet however I need the keep working away.

Came in a mint condition and on time! Having so much fun drawing with it, and it is helping me do so much more quality work, and not to mention I have an easy time setting up and starting right away which definitely increases productivity in my already very busy schedule.

Highly recommended product for both amateur and professional artists. It is well worth the money. It feels amazing, it isn’t complicated to use, light and comfortable. If this is your first display, go for it! If it isn’t, but it has features you are looking for, also go for it!.

This product easily competes with the more popular brands in my opinion, especially for the price. The pen feels natural in your hand and the screen has ample room to see the big picture. The tablet screen color seems automatically calibrated, I didn’t have to change anything to match my laptop’s resolution.

If you want a small tablet, or have a small work space, I’d recommend the 12″ instead but the 13″ is a great medium sized tablet. A bit awkward to handle at first but I got used to it quickly. The stand is made of metal and very secure.

Just need to make sure all the wires are securely plugged in. I’ve added some sketches I’ve done using Sai and Clip Studio programs. The pressure sensitivity takes some getting used to as well but I’ve gotten the hang of it in 2-3 drawing sessions.

There are settings to calibrate it to your personal preferences (lighter or heavier handed).

The few basic shortcomings of this tablet are somewhat baffling, considering how long Wacom has been in this business. The pen is thicker than typical art pens, an adjustment for many artists. For some reason, the pen does not fit well in the holder and my generic pen rest work better.

The lack of attention to detail is evident throughout the design of the tablet, software, and in its performance. Nibs are designed to be replaced after rubbing on the rough tablet surface. Nib life (and tablet life) can be extended by securing a smooth surface like paper or mylar.

As far as tablets go, Wacom has no serious competition that I can recommend. The downside to this is the lack of innovation and refinement in their product. The user guide is outdated, meaning that crucial steps are left out or work differently than the current model.

Nonetheless, through trial and error and research, you’ll get through installation and setup, as well as adapt to the few shortcomings.

The title of the review may seem a bit sarcastic, but it is a notice that 2 handed simultaneous use is a basic thing one can do in real life that should be available by now in digital drawing. I am sure there are enough brilliant minds to make this happen and I don’t think humanity should have to wait until next century to be able to use 2 hands to draw simultaneously on a computer.

So there; no 5 star reviews of ANY digital drawing interface until I can use 2 hands at the same time. To this particular product itself, it DOES have the same issues many have of: 1. USB connection not working sometimes 2.

Bluetooth being a bit too laggy to want to use instead of wired. 3. Too easy to accidentally activate buttons and scroll wheel (not sure what to do here except be careful. So the question remains: When will humanity move on to 2 handed input ability with digital pen interfaces?.

I bought all three sizes to see which one fits for me. I think the large one really fits for my need for the multi-screen setting. I love Intuos Pros super sensitive response, customizable 8 expresskeys, and useful radial key feature.

Some people dont like the multi-touch feature, but you can simply turn it off if you dont need it. Its sturdy and will work with Mac as soon as you download and install the Wacom app. If you are an illustrator, cartoonist, photo eiditor, art hobbyist, or even musician, I guarantee you that youll have lots of lots of fun and benefits.

Got this as a Christmas present from my mom to be able to draw on my laptop. As my first digital tablet, I absolutely love it! It’s the perfect size to store anywhere you need to. I have no complaints about it at all.

I highly suggest it if it’s your first time doing digital art.

Although it works fine and does as promised. I wish it had the function to work on a comuter with two screens. Might be my setings but it only works on one of the screens although my regular mouse works on both screens.

The pad could also be bigger.

Tablet itself is good and feels solid. Refresh rate is really good and there are customizable pins which is always a +. I bought this just for Osu and the main problem was the random slutter/ lag spikes I was getting.

It took me some time to do some adjustments to finally get rid of it. Do I recommend it ? Yes, it’s a really good tablet for it’s price.